Tips for learning phrasal verbs

How else can you learn phrasal verbs?

Here are some ideas:
Keeping records
It is helpful to keep paper or electronic
vocabulary records for phrasal verbs:

Write down and learn verbs as

vocabulary units (as if they are
single words) as you meet them.

Make a note of whether they have an

object or not e.g. get up, look sth up,
take after sb (see also p. iv). Can the
verb be used in the passive?

Note some common subjects and

objects that the verb is used with and
the grammar patterns.

It may help you to remember the

meaning and grammar if you write
down a couple of examples. You
could even add your own cartoons.

You can keep a note of opposites too

or a single-word verb with the same
meaning.

Add any related nouns and adjectives

that you nd.
Grouping verbs
Here are some different ways of
grouping the verbs in your records
to help you remember them:

according to their particles (up,

down, out, etc.) and particular
meanings of the particles (e.g. for
up: increasing speak up; nishing
ll sth up) (see Review pages 16).
Add new phrasal verbs as you
meet them.

Some verbs, like get, take and

put form many phrasal verbs with
different particles (see Review pages
7 and 8). You can group phrasal verbs
under the main verb in your records.

You can group them by themes

(at home, at work, travelling,
telephoning, etc.).

When you are revising or reviewing

phrasal verbs, try to group them in
a different way. You may like to try
writing a short story. For example,
you could write about somebody
making a telephone call and use the
verbs call sb back, hang up, hold on,
speak up, etc.
Meeting new phrasal verbs

When you meet a verb you dont

know, try to guess its meaning rst,
using the context and what you
know about the meaning of particles.
This will also help you with phrasal
verbs that are very new to the
language as they are often formed
with a word and a particle with
a common meaning, for example
head up.
verb: look sth up
meaning: to search for a word
or some information
in a book or a computer
obects: new words; telephone
numbers
grammar: look sth up, look up sth;
look it up
Related words: look-up (noun)
verb: take afer sb
meaning: to look like or behave like
an older member o your
family
eample I take afer my moher
in looks.
iii
9780194317450 RL2 Guide.indd 3 28/2/07 12:49:56
REALLY LEARN 100 PHRASAL VERBS 2ND EDITION
Oxford University Press
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